FATHER ANDREW HUU LE NGUYEN

FATHER ANDREW HUU LE NGUYEN Main Image

05 June 2024

On 9 March 2024, I had the privilege of attending the book launch of "I Must Live" by Priest Andrew Huu Le Nguyen from New Zealand, held at the Vietnamese Community Cultural Centre in Bonnyrigg in my electorate. "I Must Live" recounts Father Nguyen's miraculous journey, surviving a 13‑year imprisonment in communist "re-education" camps after the Fall of Saigon in 1975, and continuing his mission as a priest and advocate for human rights. Father Nguyen has a famous quote: "Before I was a priest, I was a Vietnamese person". This underscores his selfless dedication to advocating for a just, free, and democratic society for the Vietnamese people. This sentiment deeply resonates with many constituents of Vietnamese descent in my Electorate. Having known Father Nguyen for over twenty years, my respect for him has only deepened over time. I extend my heartfelt commendations to Father Nguyen for his extraordinary dedication to the Vietnamese community around the world and congratulate him on his recent 80th Birthday. I thank Mr Ly Viet Hung, and the Organisers "Luc Luong Cuu Quoc" and "Dap Loi Song Nui" for the invitation to this memorable book launch.